1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal having a video communication function. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for taking images while making a video call on a mobile communication terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a mobile terminal refers to a terminal that is carried by an individual user and supports various functions using application programs including wireless communication services. Examples of a mobile terminal may include a personal mobile communication services terminal, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, an international mobile telecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) terminal, and a wireless local area network (LAN) terminal.
Generally, a mobile terminal has voice calling and short message service (SMS) functions. However, recent, rapid development of mobile communication technology has allowed a mobile terminal to support diverse and sophisticated functions including video calls, an electronic-note function, audio/image storage, Internet access, and entertainment features. Furthermore, with the advent of a mobile terminal having a digital camera function in addition to the above features, users can easily take motion video images and still images (collectively referred to as “images”), can store the images, use the images as wallpaper, or transmit the images via e-mail or by another messaging function to another mobile communication terminal.
The use of the digital camera function also has contributed to the recent development and commercialization of a video calling system. The video calling system enables callers to see images of each other during voice conversations by transmitting the images input to a digital camera to the other party's mobile communication terminal.
That is, video calling features allow a user to send their current images and voice information to another party's mobile communication terminal through their own terminal and receive the other party's images and voice information from the other party's terminal. Thus, the user can see images of the other party on their terminal during phone conversations.
However, a conventional mobile communication terminal has a problem in that still images cannot be taken during a video call. When the conventional mobile communication terminal is connected to another party's terminal for making a video call, a video calling program is loaded into a signal processor. The signal processor then converts an image signal, input through a camera sensor, into low resolution digital data for transmission over a wireless link. Thus, even if a user's request to take a still image is received during a video call, the signal processor cannot perform the task in response to such a request.
Thus, in order to take high quality images during a video call, the conventional mobile communication terminal must first terminate the video call and then convert a video call mode into a still image mode or motion video mode, thus causing user's inconvenience. That is, the conventional mobile communication terminal cannot separately take and store high quality still images or motion video images while making a video call.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method and apparatus for taking images during a video call on a mobile communication terminal.